Life at UL

As I reach the end of my time here at UL, I feel that it is necessary to pause and give some reflection. While my identity has evolved, it did not follow the path I thought it would take. I believed (albeit naively) that living in Ireland would make me feel "more Irish" and "balance" the cultural heritage I have.

Instead, I find that I am still considered an American. However, this is only a singular part of my identity. I have a better understanding of Europe, of traveling, and (here comes the cliche) life in general. Being constantly surrounded by a different culture and language certainly encourages adaptation. I may still be American, but now I am also a more educated and adventurous young woman (I like to think so).

At the Cliffs of Moher

Ireland has not changed since I have lived here. I still view it as "magical" but now through a more mature eye. Normalcy is starting to seep into my life here. Reading The Art of Traveling stirred up a feeling of nostalgia. I can clearly remember the anticipation of dedicating my time to a school in a different country. The anticipation was often strong, mostly terrifying, and occasionally joyful.

There was a great deal of fear during the quiet afternoon when I had nothing to distract me from the fact that my loved ones were an ocean away. There was a feeling of triumph when I experienced the seas breeze and the sweeping walls of the Cliffs of Moher. There was a feeling of disorientation when I woke up in the morning and would forget, for a spilt second, which country in was living in. However, I also experienced a great deal of reassurance when I learned that many other international student have experienced the exact emotional ups and downs.

By writing this blog (however small) I can now also see how travel writing plays its own part. Whether it is written as a scientific piece or simply to capture a personal experience, its will create a picture/identity that will impact the thoughts of the audience. In the very least, perhaps they too can relate to my misadventures.

The ski slopes at UL

The Identity of Ireland

When reading the texts Irish Journal and A Walk in Ireland within my Travel Literature class, I was struck by how much "my Ireland" related to "the Ireland" of the two authors, particularly within the description of the land and the cities. The way people perceive Ireland is intricately woven into the landscape of the country.

County Kerry

In my head "my Ireland" was a rich green land that had a bit of "magic" in the air. This may come from the fact that I read a multitude of Irish fairytales when I was younger. My idea has evolved a little since I've lived here and now have a better understanding of the cities and the "real" Ireland but the beauty of the landscape has not ceased to bewilder me. When I was hiking in County Kerry (above photo) and traveling along the Burren (below photo) I really did feel that I was in an Ireland that is consistently portrayed in poems and art. The impressiveness of the landscape is also described in Irish Journal and A Walk in Ireland.

Within Irish Journal and A Walk in Ireland the authors have also discussed how the land has shaped their perspective of Ireland. The rough wilderness and the rich colors make it clear why so many people of Ireland were and are writers and artists. The mountains described in the books are the same mountains I have walked upon and creates a timelessness of the Irish identity. I believe that the authors see the landscape as part of the "visual" identity of Ireland, which is one that many people can relate to.

County Waterford

The Burren

Living within Limerick city has not changed my view of Ireland, but rather has expanded on it. The pubs that line the street and the churches that can be seen from a distance creating images of the history of the land. Heinrich Böll's description of the grey streets and the churches where identical to my thoughts when I first saw the city.

I find it amazing that the "visual" identity of Ireland is the same for so many people who come from different places.

To everyone, I'm definately the American.

When  I moved here I was so focused on attempting to understand everyone and not make a complete fool of myself, I didn't realize that I was also contributing my friends views of America.
It wasn't until 2nd year that this fact hit me. I was talking to a friend from Prague and during the conversation I said "cool beans" as a reply to a statement he said.

American identity

He then asked " Is that something all Americans say?"

I found that I had no idea. I never paid much attention to the saying of my friends at home so I wasn't sure of it was an American saying. I also realized that my friend was using my as a reference for American culture. It was a different feeling.

I have already discussed how Irish English reflects the Irish culture and the Irish identity. What I didn't realize was that my language was reflecting the American identity, according to my friend.

I didn't even think to think about the relationship between the two different varieties of the English language and the country it is used in. Michael Cronin discusses the hierarchies between languages and dialects, but since I see Irish-English and American  English as being on the same "level" the need to analyze the difference between the two was not strong. In that moment however, I suddenly felt a sense of responsibility. I was a factor in presenting America to people of different nationalities. Whatever I said would be seen as a reflection of American culture.

I believe that in many situations, the traveller is focused on how the new place is affecting them and not how they too are contributing to something. I also can't believe that it took me two years in Ireland to think about this.

Crubeens and confusion

Something that I was not prepared for when I arrived in Ireland was the amount of Irish that made it's way into everyday sentences. My mother's older relatives in particular have lived in or near a Gaeltacht area. These are places where Irish is the first language.

The red areas are Gaeltacht areas

My mom has many many cousins. This appears to be typical of Ireland as I have yet to meet an Irish person who is an only child. Sometimes I will stay with my cousins during the weekend and the long breaks from school.

During my second semester I was supposed to visit a set of these cousins. I was staying with one sister in Clonmel for the first have of the week, then meeting the older sister down in Ardmore for the second half . When I was getting ready to meet the older sister, the younger asked me if I could bring down some crúibín (crubeens) for the sister in Ardmore.

Unfortunately, I did not know what curbeens were. More unfortunately I made an assumption about the things I was hauling around in my backpack. The only part of the word I understood was the "been". In mind I thought "bean".

"That's a vegetable. It must be a vegetable!". So I went ahead and put the bag of crubeens in my backpack.

After carrying said backpack for most of a day I learn that crubeens are not a vegetable and that pigs feet will smell salty after a few hours.

This is not a bean

My attempt at translation was not a success that day. Now I am aware of the historical significance of the crubeen being a dish in Ireland that was used to make sure every part of the hog was consumed. This is why the Irish word has been retained and why it was used even if the speaker was using primarily English.  I only wish that I had found out sooner.

"Wait, you're actually Irish?"

It took my Irish friends about three years to find out that Mom was actually Irish. I  would often say that my inspiration to attend UL was partly because my mother was born and raised on the Emerald Isle. When these words came out of my mouth my friends would often nod and say "All right, that makes sense".

It wasn't until we were getting ready for a night out at my house that I realized there was a misunderstanding. My mother called briefly while we were milling around my room and I had to put her on the speaker of my phone so we could speak and I could continue getting ready.

It wasn't until I hung up the phone that I turned around and saw the surprise on my friend's faces.

Myself and my (Irish) mammy at an event in UL

"We didn't know your mother was Irish! Her accent is so Irish!"

I could only reply with confusion: " What did you think I meant when I said she was Irish?"

" Every American says their parents are Irish, but your mom is actually Irish!"

Apparently my words were not as clear as I thought. I did not realize that my identity would affect the way my friends understood my words. I was used to my accent and my phrases giving away my American identity (I still automatically say vacuum instead of hoover) but I didn't know that being American itself would be a factor.

Like Michael Cronin states in Across the Lines language plays an intricate part of identity but being able to bridge two languages is another story entirely. My identity as an America affected the way my friends understood me, even though we were speaking the exact same language. I had a separate idea of what my words meant, compared to my friends who had another view. I didn't not realize that an extra effort was necessary to reach a complete understanding between myself and my Irish friends.

Location and Identity

This blog has been created as part of a final project for my Travel Literature Course here at the University of Limerick. The following posts will be a handful of stories that reflect how my time here at UL has been shaped by language as well as my identity as an Irish-American. Then I will reflect upon the ways that my experiences here relate to the reading of my Travel Literature class.

When I first moved to Ireland to start my studies at the University of Limerick, my reasons for being there were not primarily academic. Even though the program that was offered at UL was what drew me to this particular university, the main reason I had chosen to earn my degree abroad was because of my heritage.

My mother is Irish. She was born in Cobh, Country Cork and grew up in the seaside town of Dungarven in County Waterford. I had spent the majority of my summer in Dungarven when visiting my grandparents. However, I didn't feel that I had been able to "grow" the Irish part of my identity.

Cobh

When in Ireland, I was considered the "American girl". Back home in the US, I was known as having an Irish mother but my own identity was still primarily American. This has evolved throughout my time here. Now, I feel as if my identity has become more solidified as I have a better understanding of the language in Ireland as well as the culture. I participate in both of these things without having to think about them. While I don't particularly feel more Irish or less American, my identity has certainly evolved.

For the next few posts, I will draw comparisons between my personal experiences here in Ireland and the texts within our Travel Literature course. When I read these texts it was like reading my own thoughts about the country and how traveling here has affected my identity.